(a) Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to flat panel displays. More specifically, embodiments of the present invention relate to flat panel displays having improved rubbing and short circuit prevention characteristics.
(b) Description of the Related Art
A liquid crystal display, as one type of flat panel display that is finding wide acceptance at present, typically includes two display panels on which electric field generating electrodes (such as a pixel electrode) and a common electrode are formed, with a liquid crystal layer interposed therebetween. The display crystal display generates an electric field in the liquid crystal layer by applying a voltage to the electric field generating electrode, and through the resulting electric field, determines an orientation of liquid crystal molecules of the liquid crystal layer. This in turn controls polarization of incident light to thereby display an image.
The liquid crystal display also includes a switching element connected to each pixel electrode, and a plurality of signal lines, including gate lines and data lines, for applying voltage to the pixel electrode via the switching element.
The liquid crystal display is used for various purposes. In particular, when these displays are used as monitors, they typically include an insulating layer that is generally made of an inorganic material. As a result, unlike thicker organic insulating layers, use of such thinner inorganic insulating layers results in a step that is produced between the data line and the pixel electrode. This step can create errors during rubbing processes.
Furthermore, in structures in which a storage electrode is formed below the data line, the step between the data line and the pixel electrode grows even larger, worsening the errors during rubbing processes. These errors can result in poor alignment of the liquid crystal, in turn resulting in light leakage between the data line and pixel electrode.
Further, conventional liquid crystal displays include a thin film transistor array panel and an opposed substrate, a spacer is formed on the opposed substrate, such that the top of the spacer faces the thin film transistor array panel. On the thin film transistor array panel, gate lines, data lines, and thin film transistors, etc., are formed. On the opposed substrate, however, there is no component or common electrode, and color filters, etc could be formed. Thus, the thin film transistor array panel is not typically as flat as the opposed substrate, resulting in a relatively small area upon which the spacer can contact the substrate.
Further, when a repair process is performed on a thin film transistor or a data line, the thin film transistor array panel may be short-circuited from the common electrode of the upper substrate, i.e., the common electrode panel.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention, and therefore it may contain information that does not lie in the prior art.